@article{article_1494886, title={A Study on the Efficiency and Performance of Research and Candidate Research Universities in Türkiye}, journal={Yükseköğretim Dergisi}, volume={15}, pages={459–475}, year={2025}, DOI={10.53478/yuksekogretim.1494886}, author={Önen, Mutlu and Karakaya, Gülşah}, keywords={Data Envelopment Analysis, Efficiency, Malmquist Total Factor Productivity Index, Research University, Super-efficiency DEA Model}, abstract={Analyzing the efficiency of research and candidate research universities in Türkiye plays a crucial role in shaping higher education policies and strategically allocating resources to universities. How efficiently universities utilize their resources impacts their competitive power at both national and international levels. To assess the efficiency of resource usage, this study aims to measure the efficiency of research and candidate research universities in Türkiye via data envelopment analysis (DEA) along with the super-efficiency DEA model and the Malmquist total factor productivity (TFP) index between 2017-2022. Subsequently, efficiency scores obtained from the super-efficiency DEA model were analyzed alongside performance scores announced by TÜBİTAK, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye, on an efficiency/performance diagram. The results show that the most efficient period was 2020-2021, attributed to an increase in the numbers of PhD graduates and publications. Moreover, the productivity of research and candidate research universities increased during 2017-2022 period mostly due to technological improvements and advancements in research and education. Notably, Sakarya University emerged as a strong candidate for becoming a research university in the upcoming years. This study has some important implications for both universities and the government. Utilizing the findings, universities can identify the areas for improvement in resource utilization, while the government can strategically allocate university budgets to foster the development of research-oriented university landscape in Türkiye.}, number={3}, publisher={Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi}